Unified impresses in debut
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Most of the buzz here Sunday centered around the performance of Unified, a 3-year-old son of Candy Ride who launched his career with an eye-catching three-length victory and earned a 99 Beyer Speed Figure after completing six furlongs in 1:08.95. Unified is trained by Jimmy Jerkens for Centennial Farm.
“He’d been training great for the last month, and though you never know who you’re running up against, we’d have been disappointed if he didn’t run real well,” said Jerkens. “We had him in at the beginning of the Belmont meet, and he came up with an ankle, so we had to stop and turn him out. No surgery or anything like that, just a little inflammation.
“He couldn’t have broken any sharper [Sunday]. It looked like they opened his doors before the others today. He looks like a typical Candy Ride, the good ones, and he’s got Victory Union on the dam’s side, and they’re pretty precocious the first time out. We don’t usually like to crack them first time, but sometimes the bloodlines supersede there.”
Jerkens said he hasn’t given any thought as to what might be next for Unified.
“It looked like he galloped out strong, and he never acts like he gets weak at the end of any of his works, so I think he’ll go longer,” said Jerkens. “We’re certainly pretty excited about him, that’s for sure.”
Jerkens also said that Breeders’ Cup Classic runner-up Effinex continues to work forwardly in preparation for his 2016 debut. Idle since winning the Grade 1 Clark Handicap on Nov. 27, Effinex breezed six furlongs in 1:15 at Palm Meadows on Friday. It was his third work following his arrival in south Florida at the end of January.
“We could try to make the Santa Anita Handicap, but that’s asking a lot, coming back at a mile and one-quarter, even though his record at that distance is credible,” said Jerkens. “First time out of the box, shipping all the way over there, I don’t know. But it’s a million-dollar race, and a lot of the horses are going to Dubai, so if it looks like a good spot, maybe. We need to decide quick, that’s for sure. We’ll probably know after his next work.”